Love in the Stacks: Let's read more this year

With the New Year comes new resolutions. Exercise more, stop smoking and eat healthier are a few that we commit to each January. All of our choices revolve around creating a better and happier us. As book lovers, reading brings us happiness but sometimes actually finishing a book can become a hassle with our hectic everyday lives. I'm proposing that 2015 be the year we dedicate ourselves to living limitless lives within the pages of our books. Let's hit the library and bookstore, fill up our e-readers and download audiobooks. Let's make a reading goal and then smash it. Let's make reading a crucial part of our year, as something we share with friends and family and something we fill our intimate time with.

If you're anything like me, which I'm guessing many of you are, it can be a challenge at times to finish a book. Between work, school, family and the countless other obligations, it can be difficult to actually sit down and commit time to kicking our feet up and reading through a chapter or two.

However, when we do, it fills our soul with the warmth of a thousand fireflies.

This is why I've made a goal to read at least 26 books this year. That's one book every two weeks. The great thing about this goal is that, for me, I'm counting all types of reading: graphic novels, audiobooks, novellas and even fanfiction. It's not so much about the number as it is about actually enjoying what I read. If one day I choose to read a biography then I will, while other times I may pop open the Marvel Unlimited app on my phone and read a comic book. I'll tell you exactly what I tell parents who are concerned about their children's reading habits …

If they're reading, that's all that counts.

So, I challenge you to make a reading goal this year. Be it five books or 300, create a goal that is realistic and yet challenging. This might be the perfect time to use gift cards or some of that holiday money to stock up on your reading for the year. That's the first step.

The second step is finding a way to track titles. I use Goodreads www.goodreads.com because it is an extremely user-friendly site that lets you track your progress with books and keep lists. You can also download the mobile app to update your status and share recommendations with friends. I like being able to categorize titles based on various factors, like m/m romance and biographies, with the use of tags. The best part is that Goodreads already gives you the option to participate in its reading challenge. All you have to do is update your progress after each book. Plain and simple.

Now that we have dedicated ourselves to participating in the reading challenge, we face the problem of staying motivated. As I've mentioned, we have this complicated thing called life that always seems to get in the way of us doing fun stuff. This is why you need to actively seek out new ways to keep yourself inspired when it comes to finishing that book.

The librarian in me urges you to check out your local library and join a book club. If it doesn't have one, then contact a librarian about starting one in the community. Chances are you're not the only person interested. If you want to be more specific with the type of book club you're looking for, romance novels being an example, check out some of the online communities. A simple search for "romance novel book clubs" will give you a great list to start from.

If book clubs are not for you, then maybe you just need a reading partner. Buddy up with a co-worker, sibling or friend and get together once a week to chat about what you're reading. Have discussions around the water cooler at work or even blog about your current title. When I was a child, my mother and I used to read together on the couch, and it was a great, and yet simple, way in which we bonded. If you have children, then create a reading challenge with the entire family. Make book talk a regular dinner discussion.

If you're worried about finding the time, then right now I already call you on your bluff. You can find 15 minutes during your lunch break to read on your phone. Pop in an audiobook while you commute to work or, like me, when you have an hour of chores around the house. Make reading before bed a priority and a way to ease your chaotic mind into a relaxed state … just be careful about staying up until 3 a.m. because you have to finish "one more chapter."

Like any goal you set for yourself, make it realistic and attainable. It's not so much about reading a specific number of books as it is making sure you find the time to pamper yourself. If you love reading and you feel it is a positive activity for you, then make it part of your life this year. Throw out the excuses and the barriers, because they're doing you no good. There are countless tools that will help you manage your titles, and I'm sure you know at least one person who would love to take this fantastical reading journey with you.

As always, feel free to leave a comment below with tricks and tips that you find helpful to completing a reading challenge. Do you know of a great website that will help others stay on track? Maybe you've perfected the art of budgeting for the 200 books you plan on reading in 2015. Let's start a discussion via Twitter and check in with each other over the next year.

If you want to hold me accountable to my challenge, then feel free to find me on Goodreads. www.goodreads.com/seanthomasauthor I've already read one of my 26 titles and nearly finished with my second.

Happy reading!

Sean Gilmartin (@author_sean) has always been in a world of fantasy and superheroes. It was his fascination with good vs. evil that kindled his love of reading. When he is not working as an award-winning librarian, Sean blogs more often than he likes to admit. Follow Sean's blog and his work as paranormal romance author Sean Thomas at www.seanthomasauthor.com.